Help - forgot windows password

[Kathe]

UGH! This is about the dumbest thing I've even done. I never put password on my computers because I'm pretty much the only one on them. Well, I'm leaving for Australia in 2 weeks and leaving my salon in the hands of my salon manager. She will have to get on my computer for forms, internet, etc while I'm gone so I thought I would be smart and put on a password so only she and none of the other employees could get on it and play on the internet at work.

Well, in my infinite wisdom (not so much) I made up an entirely new password and didn't use one of my regular ones AND never wrote it down. So now I can't log onto that computer to teach her what to do. UGH.

Is there anything I can do????

Kathe

[Kung]

http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/

I normally use this. Not exactly what I would call 'easy' but it *WILL* reset your password. It might require some user direction - if necessary, I can either

a) write up a tutorial, or
b) call you (or have you call me, if you want - I do it all the time for computer clients of mine) and walk you through it. :)

[flicka]

What version of windows are you using? I am assuming that it is a standalone PC and not a member of a larger domain system?

[Bodude]

Last time I worked on a Window machine(few years back),I could boot it into safe mode and delete every file in the Windows directory that ended in .pwl. Those were password list files. Not sure if it still works

[Kung]

Not that easy nowadays, unfortunately. :(

[flicka]

With Windows XP Home, you can boot into safe mode, then go in as administrator and reset the password for the users. It is not secure at all.

That's why it's important to know which version you have.

Different versions require different things.

[Kung]

With Windows XP Home, you can boot into safe mode, then go in as administrator and reset the password for the users.

Not if their username *IS* the administrator, like I used to make it. I'd usually rename the Administrator account.

'Course, that was because I had that nifty tool.

Although I agree with you - not too secure.

[zzdust]

Vista is different again, because of some project or other I was on.

For some versions of XP, you can get into the hidden no-password Administrator account by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del multiple times.

Windows 95/98/ME ... the pwl trick.

Windows 2000/XP ... Administrator account is often (unfortunately) blank, so try to take advantage of that first before using a password cracking tool.

Windows Vista (no BitLocker) ... Administrator account is typically disabled, so you have to use a password cracking tool.

Windows Vista (with BitLocker) ... better have backups ;) (actually you can theoretically get in as long as you have the BitLocker recovery key, but not sure such a tool exists yet, hmmm, maybe I should write one)

[Kathe]

Thanks everybody. I ended up downloading a password reset program disk on my other computer, loaded that into the machine and within 2 minutes had reset the password. Cost me $34.95 - UGH! Dumb mistake on my part. Anyway, thanks for your input. Kathe

[Kung]

You paid for it? Argh....we could have found you one for free (or helped you reset it for free).

At least it's reset. :)